A life-saving bone marrow match has been found for a father of two battling cancer.

Martin Jones, 41, from Hangleton, Hove, will go into hospital in the coming weeks for the stem cell transplant.

A Czechoslovakian man was found to have matching stem cell tissue just days after Mr Jones and his wife, Karen, organised a donor clinic in Hove.

Mr Jones was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma seven years ago. Despite intensive chemotherapy, only a successful stem cell transplant will save him.

The day after the clinic Mr Jones fell ill and was admitted to the Royal Sussex Hospital. While her husband was in hospital Mrs Jones, 37, received a call from the Royal Free in London to say a donor had been found.

Mr Jones said: "Karen phoned to tell me as soon as she heard. Obviously, it's brilliant news."

There is a 17 per cent chance Mr Jones will not survive the six-week transplant process. Doctors must reduce his immune system so his body accepts the new cells and monitor his progress to see if they are regenerating and killing the cancer cells.

He said: "If I do not have it, I will die anyway so there's no choice. I'm trying not to think about that. There is a good chance it will work if it all goes well.

"Every time I have chemotherapy I get weaker so I'm glad this has come now when I am feeling fairly strong."

Mr Jones will not be able to see his children, Hayley, eight, and Michael, four, for a couple of weeks during the process because his immune system will be so weak.

Mrs Jones hopes to have her husband home by Christmas. She said: "I'm hoping everything goes well. It would be the best Christmas present we could hope for.

"This last week has been such a rollercoaster of emotions. The clinic was wonderful and everyone was so nice and then Martin fell ill and my hopes plummeted. When I got the phone call from the hospital, it was like winning the lottery. Because I had been so busy with the clinic it seemed to come out of the blue."

More than 100 people turned out to donate blood at last Tuesday's clinic. The volunteer donors could be a match for anyone else in the world suffering from bone marrow diseases.

Mrs Jones urged more people to join the Anthony Nolan Trust register and said: "I'm just so grateful to everyone who came and showed their support."

To register as a donor, you must be between 18 and 40, in good general health, weigh more than 8st and be willing to help save the life of any patient you may match.

For more information, visit the Anthony Nolan web site at www.anthonynolan.org.uk or call the trust direct on 020 7284 1234.